When Siddharth Sirohi and Srila Chatterjee got bored of their lives in the film industry (they ran production house, Highlight), they decided to dabble in their shared passion for interiors and design. This resulted in the new Mumbai-based furniture store, Baro. Translating to ai???12ai??i?? from Bengali, it is a one-stop shop for home products with an old-world aesthetic blended with modern form and functionality.

The collection ranges from furniture to storage solutions (mostly based on mid-century or art deco) and home linen. ai???They are meant for people who appreciate good workmanship and like to work off basics to create their own language,ai??? says Chatterjee. This is exemplified in the classic Oxford wooden cupboardai??i??slim and tall with glass fronts and star-shaped detailing. Or the Suzani armchair, which is made with a combination of leather and old suzani textile from Uzbekistan. Each piece has a personal touch. Like The Tree of Life-themed blinds, which are sourced from Russell Street in Kolkata, where Chatterjee grew up.

Inspiration strikes from anywhere for these twoai??i??travel, movies, books and the arts and crafts of India and other countries. ai???Eighty five per cent of our furniture is made by us, and all the original design is Siddharthai??i??s. The rest are old pieces that we find, restore and re-imagine. There are also a few that are sourced from my travels,ai??? concludes Chatterjee.